Eric Weiner on the limitations of luxury hotels

“Like embassies, five-star hotels go to great lengths to isolate, and insulate, themselves from the host country. It is possible to spend many days at a five-star hotel engaged in all sorts of productive activities — holding meetings, eating meals, exercising, getting married, watching movies — without ever stepping foot in the actual country where you allegedly find yourself. This is no accident, of course. The hotel owners want you to stay put and spend money.”
–Eric Weiner, “Travel That Counts — or My Passport Is Better-Stamped Than Yours“, World Hum, May 26, 2009